How to Export QuickBooks Online Data

1. Introduction

2. Export QuickBooks Online data using native export tool

2.1. Available editions

2.2. What type of QuickBooks Online data can be exported?

2.3. How to export QuickBooks data to create a local backup

• Step 1: Sign-in to Inuit QuickBooks Online.

• Step 2: Click the gear icon (settings) and click “Export data” from the settings drop-down menu.

• Step 3: In the Export data dialog box, click a date range (choose from All dates, a Custom date range, Last calendar quarter, This year-to-date, and Last year).

• Step 4: Unselect the items to be removed from the export. 

• Step 5: Export to Excel.

  The data will be downloaded as a ZIP file in the Downloads folder in the local system. 

2.4. Limitations of exporting QuickBooks Online data using native export tool

• Data needs to be manually exported on a regular basis.

• Users need to keep track of and organize the exports to be able to quickly access it in case of a deletion or unwanted transaction. 

• Export formats are limited to Excel and PDF. 

• Exported files may not include the complete information. For example, while exporting employee details only employee name, phone numbers, email, and addresses can be downloaded and would not include details like joining date, job role, salary etc.

3. Export QuickBooks Online data into Google Drive or Dropbox

3.1. How to link Google Drive or Dropbox to QuickBooks Online backup and restore app

• Step 1: Login to Inuit QuickBooks Online Advanced account. Click “Backup company” from the settings drop down.

• Step 2: Select “Local Backup” from the navigation menu on the left-hand side. 

• Step 3: Click the “Link a Service” button on the top right corner of the screen. 

• Step 4: Click the “Link Dropbox” or the “Link Google Drive” button. 

3.2. How to schedule exports from the QuickBooks Online local backup and restore tool

• Step 1: Navigate to the “Local Backup” page. 

• Step 2: Select “New Local Backup Schedule”.

• Step 3: Set the date and time on when to run the first scheduled backup.

• Step 4: Set the frequency of the backups.

• Step 5: Select “Create Local Backup Schedule”.

3.3. Limitations of exporting QuickBooks Online data into Google Drive or Dropbox

• Exporting QuickBooks Online data into Google Drive or Dropbox is only available for Advanced subscription users which is a lot more expensive than other QuickBooks Online plans. 

• Regularly exporting QuickBooks to Google Drive or Dropbox also means businesses need to pay for additional cloud storage as well.

• Backed-up data cannot be imported directly from Google Drive or Dropbox. This means businesses need to spend additional effort and time to download the data from cloud storage and import the data into QuickBooks.

4. QuickBooks Online data export using third-party backup solutions